Indicator Shelf for Portable Electronic Device

• US 20100311478A1
• Filed: 06/08/2009
• Published: 12/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Knoppert, Michiel S., Garnham, Renee M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,244,317 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/575.4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/165 the additional display being small, e.g. for presenting status information
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0235 Slidable or telescopic telephones, i.e. with a relative translation movement of the body parts; Telephones using a combination of translation and other relative motions of the body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/026 Details of the structure or mounting of specific components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones

Abstract

There is disclosed a portable electronic device comprising a front surface, a side surface, and an indicator. The front surface is substantially parallel to a horizontal axis, and the side surface is connected to the front surface. The side surface includes an angled surface and forward side portion between the angled surface and the front surface, in which the angled surface is angled relative to the horizontal axis. The indicator is located at the angled surface of the side surface. For one embodiment, the side surface includes a groove having two angled surfaces and a meeting point where the surfaces meet. The one angled surface angles downward from the meeting point relative to the horizontal axis, and the other angled surface angles upward from the meeting point relative to the horizontal axis. For another embodiment, the device may have a slider form factor.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device comprising:

a front surface substantially parallel to a horizontal axis;

a side surface, connected to the front surface, including an angled surface and forward side portion between the angled surface and the front surface, the angled surface being angled relative to the horizontal axis; and

an indicator located at the angled surface of the side surface.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the forward side portion includes a protruding portion located above at least a portion of the indicator relative to a vertical axis perpendicular to the horizontal axis.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 1, further comprising an actuator located in proximity to the indicator, wherein the indicator indicates a function associated with the actuator.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 1, further comprises a circuit coupled to a light source, the circuit being capable of controlling whether the indicator may be illuminated by the light source.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the angled surface angles downward away from the front surface at an angle greater than parallel to the horizontal axis but less than perpendicular to the horizontal axis.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a display, a user interface, audio input and audio output accessible at the front surface.

7. A portable electronic device comprising:

a front surface substantially parallel to a horizontal axis;

a side surface, connected to the front surface, including a groove having a first angled surface, a second angled surface and a meeting point where the first and second angled surfaces meet, wherein the first angled surface angles downward from the meeting point relative to the horizontal axis, and the second angled surface angles upward from the meeting point relative to the horizontal axis; and

an indicator located at the first angled surface of the groove.

8. The portable electronic device of claim 7, further comprising a protruding portion located above at least a portion of the indicator relative to a vertical axis perpendicular to the horizontal axis.

9. The portable electronic device of claim 7, further comprising an actuator located in proximity to the indicator, wherein the indicator indicates a function associated with the actuator.

10. The portable electronic device of claim 7, further comprises a circuit coupled to a light source, the circuit being capable of controlling whether the indicator may be illuminated by the light source.

11. The portable electronic device of claim 7, wherein the first angled surface angles downward away from the front surface relative to the meeting point at a first angle greater than parallel to the horizontal axis but less than perpendicular to the horizontal axis, and the second angled surface angles upward toward the front surface relative to the meeting point at a second angle greater than parallel to the horizontal axis but less than perpendicular to the horizontal axis.

12. The portable electronic device of claim 11, wherein the first angle is greater than the second angle.

13. The portable electronic device of claim 7, further comprising a display, a user interface, audio input and audio output accessible at the front surface.

14. A portable electronic device having a slider form factor comprising:

a first housing having an upper surface; and

a second housing having a lower surface slidably coupled to the upper surface of the first housing, wherein the second housing is capable of sliding to a closed position relative to the first housing in which upper and lower surfaces are substantially adjacent and concealed, and wherein the second housing is capable of sliding to an open position relative to the first housing in which only a portion of the upper and lower surfaces are adjacent and concealed and the remainders of the upper and lower surfaces are offset and exposed,

wherein the upper surface of the first housing includes a first angled surface that is angled relative to the upper surface, the lower surface of the second housing includes a second angled surface that is angled relative to the lower surface, and the first and second angles are angled away from each other, and

wherein an indicator is located at the first angled surface of the upper surface of the first housing.

15. The portable electronic device of claim 14, further comprising a protruding portion of the second housing located above at least a portion of the indicator of the first housing.

16. The portable electronic device of claim 14, further comprising an actuator of the first housing located in proximity to the indicator, wherein the indicator indicates a function associated with the actuator.

17. The portable electronic device of claim 14, further comprises a circuit of the first housing coupled to a light source of the first housing, the circuit being capable of controlling whether the indicator may be illuminated by the light source.

18. The portable electronic device of claim 14, wherein the first angled surface angles downward away from adjacent portions of the upper and lower surfaces, and the second angled surface angles upward away from adjacent portions of the upper and lower surfaces.

19. The portable electronic device of claim 14, further comprising a display and a first user interface supported by the second housing, and a second user interface supported by the first housing.

20. The portable electronic device of claim 19, further comprising audio input and audio output supported by the second housing, and a wireless transceiver supported by the first housing.